Lug wrench with storage magazine and nut holding means



Dec. 17, 1968 M. T. HANSON 3,

LUG WRENCH WITH STORAGE MAGAZINE AND NUT HOLDING MEANS Filed July 24. 1967 Fig 3 1 i 22 (1111111111;

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United States Patent 3,416,395 LUG WRENCH WITH STORAGE MAGAZINE AND NUT HOLDING MEANS Merlin T. Hanson, Nunda, S. Dak. 57050 Filed July 24, B67, Ser. No. 655,622 1 Claim. (Cl. 81--125) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The implement shown provides a multipurpose retractor lug wrench. It is adapted to handle vehicle wheel retaining nuts and bolts. The main barrel bore provides a magazine for progressive storage of the hex nuts. A spring-loaded cap-type follower prevents twisting of the coil spring as it advances nuts or bolts forwardly toward spring-biased ball detents in the socket end. The handle serves as a lever and has a terminal hub cap prying blade.

This invention relates to certain new and highly useful improvements a multipurpose hand tool which is characterized by two component parts, more particularly, a retractor lug wrench with a self-contained magazine and a readily applicable and removable handling lever which has a hand-grip at one end, a hub cap dislodging blade at the other end and which serves other purposes to be hereinafter set forth.

It is a matter of common knowledge that a nut loosening and tightening hand wrench having a storing magazine with a spring-loaded nut return and ejecting plunger or follower is not new. It is also old to provide varying types of handles as shown in the patent to Fricke 2,493,398 and the magazine spanner revealed in the patent to McCarthy 1,503,692. The fact that these prior patented tools appear not to have been endorsed nor to have met with widespread adoption and use has initiated, at least in part, the incentive here to provide an improved end product-as herein disclosed-and to better cope with and aptly solve the over-allproblem.

The general objective is to provide an automotive mechanics tool which is such in construction and capability that it will appeal to and can be unqualifiedly endorsed for use by manufacturers and retailers and, what is more important, will well serve the advantageous purposes for which it is intended when properly used.

Briefly, this unique tool is implemented by a wrench unit and an attachable and detachable handle unit. The first named unit comprises an elongated barrel whose outer end embodies a socket wrench with diametrically opposite spring pressed ball detents and whose lengthwise axial bore provides the receiver or magazine. The hex nuts, as they are unscrewed, recede one-by-one into the storage space of the magazine and depress the springloaded end thrust or follower cap. By storing the nuts they cannot be displaced or dropped haphazardly on the garage floor and hence they are readied to be systematically screwed back after the wheel is set in position on the usual retaining studs. The barrel is joined to a tubular sleeve or shank having a hole therethroug-h for the levering and turning handle. The handle has a hub cap dislodging blade at one end and a removable rubber sleeve-type hand-grip at the other end. This hand-grip prevents the handle from slipping through the hole but can be intentionally removed so that the handle can be used to forcibly pound against the spring cap to dislodge and free any lugs or nuts which may have gotten jammed in the magazine.

It is significant to note that the plunger or follower means within the confines of the bore of the main barrel unit is characterized by a coil spring wherein the forwardmost coils are slightly reduced and fitted into the "ice receptacle portion of a reciprocable cap which is slidable in the bore and prevents the spring from twisting as it advances the lugs or bolts to a position adjacent the spring biased ball detents. The innermost coil or convolution of the spring bears against the thrust washer which is fixed to the rearward end of the main barrel. The opening in this washer permits the rod of the detachable handle to be passed through the same and through the coil spring and against the cap to force out any lug or nuts that may get stuck in the magazine.

Then, too, novelty is predicated on providing the rearward barrel unit with holes through which the rod of the handle or lever can be passed. The lever is provided on one end with a hub cap blade and on the other end with a detachable sleeve which provides a handgrip and which prevents the rod from slipping out and also can be removed so that the rod can be detached and used as a probing and nut dislodging member.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the multipurpose implement or tool-retractor lug Wrenchconstructed in accordance with the principles of the invention and ready for use.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective wherein the component parts are separated and may be said to be in exploded relationship.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view with parts in section and elevation which shows the spring pressed ball detents, two of the removed nuts with one nut receding to assume a stored position against the spring loaded end thrust cap.

FIG. 4 is a view on the same scale as FIG. 3 and showing the median portion of the barrel means, that is, where the forward and rearward barrels or sections are telescopingly joined together and wherein the spring retaining washer or abutment is shown.

Referring now to the principal component parts or units it will be noted that the barrel means or unit is denoted generally by the numeral 6 while the lever or handle means is denoted by the numeral 8.

The means 6 comprises an elongated hollow main or forward barrel 10 whose forward end is enlarged to provide a head as at 12 and which is internally fashioned into a flat faced socket wrench 14. This socketed end portion is provided with ball detents 16 located in diametrically opposite passages .18 provided therefor and each passage containing a suitable coil spring 20 held in place by an assembling and retaining nut 22. The axial bore of the barrel provides the aforementioned receiver or magazine and is denoted as at 24 in FIG. 3. This magazine is of a length and cross-section to accommodatingly receive and temporarily store the insertable and removable hex or equivalent wheel nuts 26. With reference now to FIG. 4 it will be seen that the rearward end portion 28 of the barrel is provided with a fixed washer 30 having a hole 32 of prescribed diameter therein. The endmost convolution or coil 34 of the coiled spring 36 is retained by the washer 30. The smaller coils or convolutions 38 (FIG. 3) of the spring are fitted in the receptacle portion 40 of the end thrust spring-loaded cap 42 whose imperforate end portion 44 is of suitable convex form and is adapted to coact with the adjacent nut in the manner illustrated. The main or first barrel section 10 is provided with a second slightly larger barrel section which is also referred to as a rearward barrel section and is denoted at 46. The end portion 48 is fitted telescopingly over the end portion 28 of the first barrel section and provides a suitable elongated handle attaching shank. The rearward end portion of the shank is provided with aligned holes 50 to accommodate the median portion 52 of the handle or rod 8. One end portion of the rod is denoted at 54 and is provided with an attachable and detachable rubber or equivalent anti-slipping sleeve 56 which provides a handgrip. It is evident that this handgrip also functions as a stop and prevents displacement of the rod from the holes or openings 50, in a seemingly evident manner. The end portion of the rod projecting to the right in FIG. 1 and denoted generally at 58 is fashioned into an appropriate flat faced tapered or Wedge-type blade 60 which can be used in a seemingly evident manner for prying a hub cap loose. It follows that with the barrel means 6 and handle means 8 constructed and joined in the manner shown the implement or tool is of a multiple purpose character and well serves the purpose for which it is intended.

In practice as the nuts 26 are loosened and removed one at a time they recede into the receiver or magazine portion 24 in a seemingly obvious manner and tension the coil spring 36. The ball detents 16 serve to retain the nuts temporarily in the magazine. On the other hand, when it is desired to replenish the nuts it is evident that the plunger action of the spring and the attending cap 42 serves to discharge the nuts one at a time against the tension of the ball detents 16 also in a seemingly selfevident manner. Should the nuts become jammed or get stuck it is only necessary then to remove the rod, that is the handle 8 by slipping off the sleeve 56 and then inserting the rod through the hollow portion of the barrel 46 and passing it through the coils of the spring and engaging it with the end 44 of the cap 42 to dislodge the jammed nut or nuts. The rod can be used as a jack handle and also the blade 60 on the end thereof can be used to pry a hub cap off, thus increasing the over-all utility of the novel tool.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A hand-held and actuable tool of the class described comprising an elongated axially bored barrel means open at both ends and having a forward end fashioned externally and internally into a nut receiving, gripping and turning socket, said forward end having spring-pressed ball detents projecting into said socket, the bore proper constituting a nut stacking and storing magazine, a closedend nut follower slidably positioned in the magazine, a coil spring confined in said magazine, the forward end of said spring fitting to said follower to provide a spring load therefor, an intermediate portion of said barrel means being provided with a fixed centrally apertured washer fitted within the confines of the bore, said washer constituting an abutment for the rear end of the coil spring, the aperture at the center of said washer and the convolutions of the coil spring being of a prescribed diameter to permit the passage of a prescribed instrument therethrough, through the open rear end of the barrel means, for forcible engagement with said follower to effect a manual movement thereof to amplify the spring load, the rear end of said barrel means having a pair of diametrically aligned holes therein, an elongated rod constituting a lever and a handle, said rod being slidably received through said holes, said rod being selectively usable as said prescribed instrument, one end of said rod being provided with an enlarged hub cap removing blade, said blade being of a size so as to prevent its passage through the aligned holes, and a removable handgrip forming sleeve provided on the second end of said rod, said sleeve also being of a size incapable of passage through said aligned holes whereby, until said sleeve is removed, removal of the rod from the rear end of said barrel means is prevented.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,220,354 11/1940 Sheetz 81-125 2,836,091 5/1958 Mann 81-125 3,005,367 10/1961 Vose 81125 FOREIGN PATENTS 659,136 1/ 1929 France. 481,231 3/1938 Great Britain. 386,458 1/ 1933 Great Britain.

MILTON S. MEHR, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

